A Response to The Reading League’s “Choosing a Professional Learning Partner” Blog
Lea Leibowitz
The Reading League recently published a thoughtful blog post, Choosing a Professional Learning Partner: 5 Questions to Ask, and I found myself nodding along in agreement with every word. The questions they pose are the right questions, and I wanted to respond by sharing how our work with districts across the country aligns to these same priorities. As the Client Project Coordinator, I have the privilege of seeing what successful, long-term partnerships look like on the ground, across diverse contexts, and in real classrooms. Here is our perspective on each of The Reading League’s five questions.
1. Do They Focus on Implementation — Not Just Professional Development?
The Reading League is spot-on: "workshops alone rarely change outcomes.” That’s why we think about our work as professional learning— ongoing, job-embedded support that helps educators translate research into practice over time.
Meaningful instructional shifts happen in classrooms, in planning conversations, and in the day-to-day decisions teachers make. Our partnerships are designed to support the work beyond a single session, with a focus on sustained implementation. This includes:
Translating research into clear, actionable classroom practices
Supporting strategic differentiated instruction in real time
Building systems that teachers and leaders can sustain
Our goal is to support educators in moving from learning about effective strategies and teaching methods to using them with purpose—consistently, and in ways that meet the needs of all their students.
2. How Do They Support Leaders, Not Just Teachers?
Instructional change requires a system-wide approach. Our professional learning is designed to strengthen both classroom instruction and leadership capacity – supporting teachers through workshops, modeling, and coaching, while collaborating with leaders to plan strategically, use data to inform decisions, and create conditions for sustainable implementation.
We partner closely with principals, coaches, and district leaders to clarify instructional priorities, align professional learning to curriculum and existing initiatives, and build systems for monitoring progress and supporting teachers consistently. When leaders are aligned and clear in their vision, they can more effectively support teachers—resulting in more consistent, high-quality instruction for students.
3. What Happens in the First 90 Days?
Clarity and early momentum are non-negotiable. It’s easy for new initiatives to feel overwhelming, which is why The Reading League stresses the need for a clear, realistic launch. Our initial 90-day phase is focused on establishing that clear path:
Listening first (to leaders, coaches, and teachers)
Identifying high-leverage areas for growth based on studying student data
Establishing early wins that build confidence
We resist the urge to do everything at once. Instead, we prioritize high-leverage actions that lead to quick, meaningful impacts and then build a plan for long-term sustainability. That’s the starting point for real, sustained progress.
4. How Do They Adapt to Context and Capacity?
No two districts or schools are alike, and their paths to improvement shouldn’t be either. We deeply believe in The Reading League’s advice to avoid one-size-fits-all models. Every single partnership we design is custom-built after an in-depth review of your unique context. This includes looking at your district’s vision, existing curriculum and resources, state standards, student data, teacher experience, leadership structures, and the needs of all student populations, including multilingual learners. This initial process allows us to co-create a professional learning experience that is fully aligned with your goals and builds buy-in. Our expert literacy specialists then deliver high-impact support through modeling, coaching, and collaborative work, and we partner with leadership teams to reflect on progress and refine next steps.
When PD is disconnected from what teachers actually use, it creates confusion and extra work. Our goal is to ensure the work is immediately relevant, usable, and feels like a natural part of their daily practice—not simply "one more thing" to do.
5. How Do They Define and Measure Impact?
Student impact is the goal. The Reading League pushes partners to think beyond feedback forms and toward meaningful indicators of change, and we agree completely. Professional learning should make a difference. In our partnerships, we use a comprehensive approach to evaluating the impact of the work, combining qualitative and quantitative data to measure success:
Changes in Practice: We observe and track changes in instructional practice and measure increased instructional clarity across classrooms.
Confidence and Reflection: We use structured pre- and post-reflections with educators to track increases in teacher confidence and understanding.
Student Performance: We look for evidence of growth in student reading and writing performance to ensure the work is driving better outcomes.
Leadership Feedback: We collect feedback from leadership and coaching teams to continuously monitor progress and refine next steps.
By focusing on these deep and varied indicators, we ensure our professional learning is always responsive and focused on meaningful, lasting change, and we prepare impact reports with our partner schools so we are all clear on the results of our work. You can read some of our case studies here.
In conclusion, professional learning must be responsive, dynamic, and focused on helping teachers apply their new learning to impact student outcomes. Partnership Over Programming!
Choosing a professional learning partner is more than just selecting a vendor—it's committing to a partner in change. The most effective relationships are built on trust, responsiveness, and a deep, shared commitment to both students and teachers. Our team walks alongside districts and schools; we don’t just deliver sessions. We help build the lasting systems that ensure the work truly takes hold in every classroom. Because in the end, the goal is always better outcomes for students.
Lea Leibowitz is the Client Project Coordinator for Literacy Strategies Consulting, Jennifer Serravallo’s team of literacy specialists. Her role involves engaging with educational leaders to design customized school-based professional learning plans that align with district needs and budgets. With a background in teaching in public and private schools, a literacy coach, working in higher education supporting new teacher development, and as a national consultant, she brings diverse and rich experiences to her consultations. Lea's collaborative efforts extend to working closely with each of the team's dedicated LSC Literacy Specialists. Together, they ensure that every educational initiative is innovative and grounded in evidence-based practices.